Curious Goes Red

Wotcha!

Last week, with the best intentions, I tried—and failed—to send you to a LinkedIn post by Millie Gooch, founder of Sober Girl Society over in the UK.

I did, in fact, send a post from her, but not the correct one—though that post was very good too. So I’m trying again. Here is the one that struck a chord with me about how she feels from not drinking.

If the Link Gods don’t allow me to correctly connect you with her words, I will at least leave you with a quote from her post.

Anyway, as always — enjoy some great drinks this week.

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

WINE ALTERNATIVE
Curious Elixirs - Curious Red

COCKTAIL
Strongwater - Golden Spritz

Read time: 4 minutes 53 seconds

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BEER: Veracity Pale is the latest release from Self Care. (Link)

WINE: Actress Patricia Heaton launches Solubrae, a new line of non-alcoholic wines, kicking off with a white and a rosé. (Link)

WINE: Jam Cellars debuts ButterZero with four varietals. (Link)

BEER: Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer introduces RAB ZERO. (Link)

COCKTAIL: Soaking up the delights of the Mediterranean, Maison Giulia is now taking pre-orders for two new mimosas—orange and raspberry. (Link)

COCKTAIL: TÖST pops its popular Sangria into cans. (Link)

BEER: Up in Seattle, Fremont Brewing has added a Hazy IPA to its line of NA beers. (Link)

WINE ALTERNATIVE

ModSub’s thoughts: With the flood of NA beverages emerging over the last three or four years, it’s quite an achievement to celebrate 11 years in the business of creating, marketing and selling adult non-alcoholic drinks. Last month, however, saw Curious Elixirs mark their 11th birthday with their 11th offering—Curious Red.

The big reveal a couple of weeks back introduced a “sumptuous Syrah,” with grapes sourced from California blended with 24 further ingredients from five continents. On the functional side of things, kanna provides a boost to your mood, ashwagandha relieves stress, and passionflower increases GABA levels, bringing a sense of calm. Oh—and there’s French oak, which not only aids fatigue but also contributes to the flavor, quite considerably as it turns out.

For the wine aficionados, I’m going to guess Curious Red probably won’t scratch the itch. But for those of us who enjoy NA wine occasionally—and perhaps even for the glass-after-work crew—Curious Red may be just the ticket. This is, after all, a wine alternative; it was never meant to replicate wine 1:1. Twist the cap off a Curious Red with that mindset and you’ll find a drink that comfortably ticks the “wine” checkbox while offering calming adaptogenic benefits that go some way toward replacing the buzz.

A quick sniff of the opened bottle reveals strong jammy notes, with blackberry standing out front and a little plum and raspberry lingering in the background. Take your first sip, though, and the fruits take two steps back as a smoky oak flavor envelops the palate, while a touch of pepper gives it the mildest of kicks. The finish prolongs the woody notes, wrestling with the fruit to get the last word in. It’s really very, very tasty.

All in all, Curious Red impresses. It confidently achieves its goal of being a wine that’s not a wine but, well … kind of is, if you get my drift. As with all Curious Elixirs bottles, it contains two servings. I suspect for many it will be quite challenging to have the discipline to stick to just one. Certainly it appears I’m not succeeding on that front.

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How Curious Elixirs describe Curious Red: Sumptuous Syrah 2026, Curious Red's first vintage, is a dry, medium-bodied nonalcoholic red wine crafted with California Syrah grapes and 24 meticulously sourced ingredients, infused with ashwagandha, kanna, and passionflower to soothe the body, open the heart, and calm the mind.

Previously: Curious No. 1, Curious No. 2 and Curious No. 0

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COCKTAIL

ModSub’s thoughts: My local supermarket has embraced non-alcoholic drinks with gusto. Where three years ago you’d have been lucky to find a six-pack or two, now there’s a full stand-alone end-cap and five or six shelves in the drinks aisle dedicated to the category. Someone, I’m happy to say, is on a mission.

I always give these sections a quick scan as I shuffle by on each visit, just in case something I haven’t tried—or more rarely, haven’t seen before—pops up. Which is how I came across Strongwater’s rather wonderful Golden Spritz.

Strongwater has been around since 2014, making a name for itself in the craft cocktail world with bitters, syrups and mixers before later expanding into non-alcoholic RTD cocktails. Reflecting founder Nick Anderson’s deep knowledge and passion for plant-based healing derived from centuries-old folk medicine, many of Strongwater’s products utilize ancient recipes as the foundation for their drinks.

Golden Spritz takes me right back to the beginning of my non-alcoholic journey, when I first came across Aromatic Bitters & Soda from The Bitter Housewife. I fell head over heels for that drink, which is sadly no longer available.

So with Golden Spritz, it seems I may have found a replacement. Made with purified, remineralized Rocky Mountain water and Strongwater’s flagship Aromatic Bitters—a chai-inspired concoction of turmeric, allspice, cinnamon and the “you-can-do-no-wrong spice” cardamom. It’s a wonderfully light cocktail, full of bubbles and packed with East and Southeast Asian spices, with a delicate, unobtrusive orange sweetness to round things out.

If you need a change from the more Italian-leaning spritzes out there, then I would highly recommend giving Golden Spritz a whirl. You’ll most definitely be missing out if you don’t.

How Strongwater describe Golden Spritz: An all-day sipper. A chai-spiced bitters and soda infused with our award-winning Aromatic bitters; enjoy as an afternoon refresher or a pick-me-up between drinks. 

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